Adjustable ladder step



June 10, 1952 o. E. CARLSON ADJUSTABLE LADDER STEP Filed Feb. 15, 1949 OQVILLE E. CAQLSOM BY l m|LHI mmm! Patented `une 1U, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE ADJUSTABLE LADDER STEP Orville E. Carlson, St. Paul, Minn.

Application February 15, 1949, Serial No. 76,544

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an adjustable ladder step and more particularly to an extensible ladder step for clamping engagement with the side rails of a ladder at any selected position.

It is an object of this invention to provide an adjustable ladder step of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter having clamping members carried by the opposite ends of the step for adjustable clamping engagement with the side rails of ladders of various size and dimensions. The device is particularly adapted for use in the open areas at the ends of the stepladders or extension ladders and the formation of the adjustable step is such that it may as readily be applied at any selected point along the length of the ladder between the rungs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which may be readily formed of metal or other suitable material of a suitable or selected gage and fabricated into the desired shape and conguration. The structure of the step provides for its attachment on a ladder by the simple clamping adjustment of a wing nut on each end, the nuts being mounted on the step for engaging a pair of confronting toothed, jaw members with the opposite sides of a side rail of the ladder.

With the above and other objects in view, my l invention consists in the arrangement, combina- Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the adjustable ladder step, removed from the ladder.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the ladder step shown in Figure 2. f

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I6 designates generally a fragmentary end portion of an extensible stepladder having side rails II and l2 and spaced apart rungs I4 secured between the opposite rails. The adjustable ladder step I5, constructed according to an embodiment of my invention is shown in the drawings as engaged on the ends of the side rails II and I2 in the open area below the bottom rungs I4.

The adjustable ladder step I5 is formed of a pair of interengaging telescopic step sections I6 and I1. 'Ihe step section I1 is slidably engaged in one end of the step section I6 and both of the sections are provided at their opposite ends with a clamp I8 for engagement with the side II and I2 of the ladder I0. Y

The step section I6 is formed with a horizontal top wall I9 having a depending flange 20 at the opposite edges thereof. The depending flanges 20, together with the top wall or step body I9 define a substantially U-shaped step 'secf tion within which a similar U-shaped section is telescopically engaged. The bottom edges of the side iianges or arms 20 are each formed with an inwardly extending, upwardly turned flange 2| which is spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the arms 26. The flanges 2|, which extend along the length of the step section I6 define guide means within the step section for supporting the extensible step section I1. Y

The step section I1 is also U-shaped in configuration, having a top wall 22 and depending side arms or walls 24 at the opposite edges thereof. The top wall 22 of the step section I1 is adapted to be slidably engaged with the under surface of the top wall I9 of the step section I6. The side arms 24 of the inner section I1 are adapted to be slidably engaged with the inner surface ol the side arms 2D of the step section I6. The lower edges of the side arms 24 are adapted to be slidably engaged within the guide or channel formed by the inwardly turned flanges 2I. 'Ihe inner step section I1, thus disposed within the outer step section I6 is extensibly supported therein for engagement between the side rails I0, II and I2 of various sized ladders.

Each of the step sections I6 and I1 is lformed with an outer end wall 25 on which the clamp I8 is formed, and therefore the detailed description of one of the clamps I8 will adequately describe the other section.

The clamp I8 is formed with a fixed jaw member, as the member 26, and a slidable jaw mem'- ber 21. The fixed jaw members 26 are formed as an integral part of one of the side iianges, the iiange 26 or 24, of the telscopic step sections I6 and I1. The fixed clamping jaw member 26 extends longitudinally outwardly from the end lof the step section on which it is formed and a portion of the arm 26 is bent inwardly, as clearly noted in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings. The inwardly turned jaw portion 28, formed from the flat jaw member 21 is provided with inwardly extending jaw teeth 29 which are adapted ,to penetrate the wooden side rails of the ladder. As shown in the drawing, the inwardly extending jaw 28 is formed by striking out a portion' of the longitudinally extending jaw member 26, thereby leaving a recess or opening 30 along the length of the jaw member. Y

The slidable jaw member 21, which confronts the iixed jaw member 26, is slidably supported on the ends of the step sections I6 and I1 by sliding rails engagement within the transversely extending guide members formed on the ends of the step sections. The channel guide members 3I and 32 are formed as outwardly extending inwardly bent flanges which are either formed integral with or struck from a portion of the step section on which it is formed. As noted in the drawings the upper channel guide member SI is struck from the top wall I9 and 22 of each of the step sections I6 and I1, thereby leaving an opening 34 at the opposite ends of the step.

The clamping member 21 is formed of a short length of flat metal or other suitable material, bent into a right-angular conguration. One arm, as the arm 35, is slidably engaged over the outer end walls 25 of the step sections and the side edges of the arm are slidably confined within the confronting flanges 3I and 32. The outwardly extending .arm 38 of the slidable clamping member 21 is disposed substantially parallel to the xed jaw member 25 and is slidably supported for transverse sliding movement relative to the step I5. The slidable jaw member 21 is also formed with inwardly extending jaw teeth 31, which are formed in substantially the same manner as the jaw teeth 29 of the fixed jaw member 2B. The clamping teeth 31 are disposed in confronting relation to the teeth 29 for clamping a side rail of the ladder therebetween. A fastening element or bolt 38 is engaged through the outer ends of the sliding jaw member 21 and fixed jaw member 26 for securing the slidable jaw member in fixed clamping relation with a side rail of the ladder. A wing bolt, as 39, is threadably engaged on the outer end of the bolt 39 for locking the clamp I9 in clamping engagement with the ladder. As noted on the drawing, the inwardly extending teeth 31 are located adjacent the top edge of the step I5, whereas the teeth 29, confronting the teeth 31 are disposed adjacent the bottom edge. This diagonal relation between the confronting jaw teeth provides for the secure attachment of the ladder step I5 on the side rails yof a stepladder at the same angle relative to the side rails as the conventional xed stepladder steps. This sloping or tilt of the adjustable step, of course, is not used on the regular type of -extension ladders.

,In the use and operation' of the adjustablel ladder step I5, described above, the clamping vmembers I8 are initially loosened for engagement over the ends of the side rails of the ladder or may be disassembled for engaging the step between rungs of the ladder. For engaging the step on the ends of the ladder, the clamp I8 need only be loosened and the free ends of the side rails II and I2 may be slidably positioned between the xed jaw member and the slidable jaw member of the clamps on the opposite ends of the rung. Tightening of the nut 39 will cause the teeth 29 and 31 of the jaw members to slightly penetrate the side rails of the ladder for securely clamping the step thereon.

For use of the step I5 between adjacent rungs of the ladder, the slidable jaw member 21 of each fof the clamps I8 must be removed from engagement with the guide means or channels 3I and 32. The step is initially positioned at its desired location along the length of the ladder and then the transversely extending arms 32 of the slidable ljaw members 21 are engaged within the channels I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A clamp for securing an end of a ladder step to a side rail of a stepladder comprising a first jaw member arranged longitudinally of the ladder step and having one end xedly secured to the one end of the ladder step, a second jaw member arranged in parallel spaced relation with respect to said first jaw member and having one end connected to the one end of the ladder step for movement away from said rst jaw member. said i'lrst and second jaw members being adapted to embracingly receive therebetween said ladder side rail, and a fastening element extending transversely through said rst and second jaw members adjacent the other ends thereof and attached to said members for holding said members in position on said side rail when the ladder rail is received between the iirst and second jaw members.

2. A clamp for securing an end of a ladder step to a side rail of a stepladder comprising a first arm arranged longitudinally of the ladder step and having one end xedly secured to the one end of the ladder step, a second arm arranged in parallel spaced relation with respect to said first arm and having one end connected to the one end of the ladder step for movement toward and away from said rst arm, opposed jaws on said rst and second arms adjacent said one end of the ladder for embracingly receiving therebetween the ladder side rail, and a fastening element extending transversely through said rst and second arms adjacent the other ends thereof and attached to said arms for holding said arms in position on said side rail when the ladder rail is received between said jaws.

3. A clamp for securing an end of a ladder step to a side rail of a stepladder comprising a rst arm arranged longitudinally of the ladder step and having one end xedly secured to the one end of the ladder step, opposed guide members on the one end of the ladder step and spaced from said first arm, a second arm arranged in parallel spaced relation with respect to said first arm, a third arm arranged transversely of and secured to one end of said second arm and supported in said guide members for movement toward and away from said first arm, opposed jaws on said first and second arms adjacent said one end of the ladder for embracingly receiving therebetween the ladder side rail, and a fastening element extending transversely through said first and second arms adjacent the other ends thereof and attached to said arms for holding said jaws in position on said side rail when the ladder rail is received between said jaws.

ORVILLE E. CARLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,285,817 Sklar Nov. 26, 1918 1,641,558 Streeper Sept. 6, 1927 1,658,753 Wirth Feb. '1, 1928 2,103,603 Voight Dec. 28, 1937 2,371,903 Maier Mar. 20, 1945 2,512,397 Trautner June 20,1950 

